


Four and a Half Hour Adventure

by OnceUponanAusten91



Category: Adventures in Odyssey
Genre: 90s, Amusement Parks, Disney World & Disneyland, Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25477792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponanAusten91/pseuds/OnceUponanAusten91
Summary: While traveling cross-country to California, Bernard decides to take a detour so Eugene can experience Disneyland for the first time. Eugene can't understand the fascination about the theme park, and Bernard just wants a relaxing day enjoying the food and entertainment. However, the people they meet along the way might help change their minds. They both learn important lessons about love, family, thinking of others, and letting go of plans in this humorous adventure at one of the Happiest Places on Earth.
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bernard: I was thinking I’d hate to come all this way and not stop in for a peek at the city of glitz and glamour.  
> Eugene: But we stopped at Disneyland on the way in!  
> The Fifth House on the Left, Part 1 from Vol. 21: Wish You Were Here! (originally aired August 20, 1994)
> 
> After hearing this small line at the beginning of the episode, I thought, “I would have loved to hear that episode! Why didn’t they make it?” When I brought it up to my sister, she insisted, “You need to make that story.” And here we are, one idea of what their day at Disneyland could have been like. I kept the story historically accurate within the time period of the original airdate. See if you can catch how many Odyssey characters show up in the story! To figure out the kids’ ages, I used the year 1994 to add or subtract what year kids appeared in episodes and approximated their ages. Through writing this story, I learned much about the Disneyland Park too; some attractions were different back then or did not exist in 1994. If it helps, you can search the internet for a Disneyland map so you can follow along. This is my first fanfiction based on my oldest, most-loved fandom. Enjoy!

“California! We finally made it.” Bernard sighed as they passed the welcoming freeway signs. “San Diego, here we come! I can hear my new truck calling me from here.”

“We would have been here sooner, Mr. Walton, if we hadn’t had so many delays. Your car breaking down in Iowa, you landing yourself in jail in-“

“Seeing the Grand Canyon, taking pictures in front of Lake Havasu. The delays haven’t all been bad, Eugene. You need to lighten up a bit. Side stops are all part of the road trip experience.”

“I suppose that’s correct, at least from what I’ve heard second hand. This is my first road trip, after all. What other kinds of road trips have you experienced in your past?”

Bernard lifted his blue baseball cap and scratched the front of his scalp, as if the memories were buried deeply. “We went to a family reunion in Tennessee when I was eight. Then when I turned eleven, my parents saved enough money for me and my brother Benjamin to tag along with my eldest brother Boris to D.C. for his high school graduation trip. They thought it’d be educational.”

“Indeed it is! I’ll never forget my trip to our nation’s capital. Such a wealth of history and knowledge embedded-“

Bernard cleared his throat. “Ahem. Maude and I went to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon. And, uh…well of course we’ve been to Disneyland. Once for my brother Bosco’s birthday, once for my sister Beulah’s, and once for my nephew’s. I think we would have gone more, but it was hard for my parents, being janitors, to make big trips with six kids.”

“Uh, Disneyland?” Eugene enunciated carefully as he set down the map he had been scrutinizing.

“You mean that you don’t know what Disneyland is?” Bernard glanced over to see Eugene shrug. “Disneyland! You know, the home of Mickey Mouse? With rides, food, and overpriced merchandise?”

“Sounds more like a carnival. You must remember, Mr. Walton, that I wasn’t raised like most children.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Bernard muttered. In a regular voice he explained, “Mickey Mouse was a cartoon character from the late ‘20s that a man called Walt Disney created. Mickey grew so popular that Mr. Disney decided to create an amusement park based on the character as a sort of home for Mickey and all his friends.”

“For a mouse? What did he look like? A striped field mouse, a pilliga mouse?”

“I don’t know what kind of mouse, Eugene! He’s, uh, human-sized with black, round ears and normally wears red pants.”

“Oh, I think I’ve seen him before on t-shirts some of the children from Whit’s End wear.” Eugene pushed his glasses up against his overgrown bangs. “I never took interest in cartoons as a child. My foster parents did not encourage me to watch television until I finished my homework. That moment never seemed to come, so I never took any interest in cartoons. Besides, the Burnetts couldn’t afford out-of-state vacations while I lived with them.”

Bernard was quiet for a minute. Eugene watched as Bernard glanced from the car clock to the overhead freeway signs. He head-checked over his right shoulder and merged into a lane.

“Mr. Walton,” Eugene hurriedly picked up the map. “That exit will take us off our course.”

“I realize that, Eugene. I can’t take you on a road trip without letting you see what most people have. Besides, Anaheim is less than an hour from San Diego. We’re going to Disneyland!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After rerouting the truck to Anaheim, Bernard and Eugene drove about ten hours with few stops before reaching Anaheim. By then, it was past dinner, and they only wanted a place to sleep. Finding an available, clean motel within walking distance of the park was more difficult than Bernard suspected, probably because they were traveling at peak vacation time. It was past 8:00 when they checked in at the sixth motel they had tried. Eugene suspected it was because Bernard couldn’t see the motel windows clearly anymore to judge if the rooms would pass his cleanliness stamp of approval. The pair were so tired from driving that they hardly spent much time awake in the room anyways. They woke up the next morning earlier than Eugene had wanted, but Bernard insisted they needed to arrive at the park at opening hour to beat the crowds and buy their one-day passes.

“Hurry up, Eugene!” Bernard urged as they crossed the road that took them just past the parking lot. He continued weaving around strollers and toddlers with an occasional glance over his shoulder at Eugene, who wasn’t able to maneuver around pedestrians as well.

“Is this it?” Eugene asked as they stood in line at the ticket booths. “It’s a bit more…empty than I was expecting.” He stared around at the cobblestone courtyard that had lit-up ads for _The Lion King_ and _The Wonderful World of Disney_ TV movies.

“Nonsense, this is just the entrance. After we buy the tickets, we have to make it through the bag check and the turn style entrance. Then you’ll start to see the park.”

“With such a long check-in process, I feel like I’ve entered a highly secured area.”

“Well, there’s a lot of people.”

“I can see,” Eugene muttered as he stared at a family walking past them. The young girl was wearing a golden ballroom dress, her older sister was wearing a red long-haired wig, and her parents had black-eared hats. “There are lots of people dressed up in costumes too.”

“I never really understood that. Kids are encouraged to dress up to use their imaginations, but the adults,” he shook his head, “They may be a bit too devoted.”

“This feels like I’m entering into a cult. Studies have shown that-“

Bernard elbowed Eugene hard in the side as he walked up the counter and purchased their tickets. Eugene mused while he waited.

_I went on this road trip to discover new things about myself. Perhaps I’ll rediscover a bit of my lost childhood, or least see what normal families do to spend their leisure time._

The pair proceeded through the rest of the check-in process smoothly. Children started to run past them once they were through the last turnstiles, and adults stood in clusters huddling around maps or reorganizing their knapsacks. Eugene could detect at least six different languages.

“Welcome to Disneyland!” Bernard grinned. “There’s the famous Mickey flower arrangement and the train right above it. I remember one time my nephew wore his conductor’s hat when we rode on it. He was big on trains at the time. Come on, Eugene, let’s get a picture in front of it.”

“Very well, if that is what visitors customarily do. We came here to get the Disneyland experience, and get it I shall.”

“Everything always has to be such a dramatic event with you,” Bernard muttered as he got in the shortest line for photographers. “Why don’t you look at the map while we wait, and find a place you want to see?” He handed it to Eugene. “Like I said before, I’m not a huge fan of rides, but there are one or two that we should definitely ride.”

“Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland. They all certainly sound intriguing. I suppose Tomorrowland sounds the most educational.”

“We’re here for fun, not a science lecture.”

“Right, uh,” Eugene quickly scanned the map. “Frontierland could be stimulating as well. I enjoyed reading about the wilderness explorers as a lad.”

Bernard shook his head.

“Hello, gentlemen!” a sweet, bold voice greeted them. “If you would step right over here on the marker,” the photographer indicated to a sidewalk crack a few feet in front of her. “Say, cheese!” she said once Bernard and Eugene stood so that they were framing the Mickey flowers behind them. “Great, now put your hands up like you’re really excited to be here. M-maybe not quite so high.” Eugene lowered his arms a few inches. “Terrific! What brings you here today?”

“It’s his first time here,” Bernard offered before Eugene could say a word.

“Well, welcome! We are so glad you decided to come. You’re never too old for Disneyland. Why don’t you put your hands on your hips and face your bodies while looking at me?”

“But why would-“

“Quiet, Eugene, and just do what she says.”

The photographer rearranged their hands closer together and snapped the photo. “Alright, that looks awesome! I can give you directions on how you can pay for the picture.” When she finished, she smiled, “Have a magical day!”

“Thank you, uh, you as well,” Eugene waved as Bernard picked up Eugene’s knapsack and walked towards the flock of people streaming under the train tracks tunnel.

“Where to first, Mr. Walton? Is this the way to Tomorrowland?”

“Relax, Eugene, we have all day. Just relax and take it all in.”

They were standing in the middle of the Main Street square. Town Hall was on their left and a small line forming to see Donald Duck on their right. Music was cheerfully playing, and the sight was enough to silence Eugene for a moment.

“It certainly doesn’t look like an amusement park.”

“Not yet. Come on, let’s find you a ‘First Time’ button. I like those because they’re about the only free souvenirs here!”

Eugene turned his head back towards the Donald Duck line as Bernard led him in the opposite direction towards Town Hall. “Why are those people standing in such a long line? To get photographs?”

“That and autographs, another good free souvenir. See, Mr. Disney was smart. He thought kids would want to come back to meet their favorite characters from the cartoons and movies, so they have all these costumed people scattered around the park for kids to shake their hands and get an autograph.”

“Hmm, I suppose it’s similar to a Santa Claus at the mall. Playing into a child’s naivete and further creating the illusion that what they are experiencing is reality.”

“Eugene, do me a favor? Try not to say any words longer than two syllables while we’re here.”

Eugene opened his mouth to protest but was so taken aback by the question and the thought of following the order that he didn’t know what to say.

Bernard was able to find Eugene’s button, which was pinned promptly on his black vest. Bernard insisted that they ignore the map and just wander through the park at their leisure. They could stop for food whenever they wanted and buy any souvenirs Eugene wanted at the end of the day, since the Main Street Emporium was open until midnight. The first attraction in the area was _The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln_ , Eugene eagerly pointed out. Bernard didn’t mention that this would be his first time viewing the exhibit.

Eugene observed as they meandered through the first rooms before finding seats, “I’m quite impressed that a theme park with frivolous entertainment has a historical exhibit. This model of the Capitol building looks impressively built to scale. If I get nothing else from this day, at least this attraction can keep me stimulated for hours!”

“Yeah, just like that historical marker back in Iowa. When we sit down, let’s sit in the back. I don’t like it up front.”

In response Eugene’s face screwed up like a child’s after hearing he couldn’t eat ice cream. After watching the pre-show, Eugene followed Bernard to the last row of chairs in the viewing room. As the lights dimmed and the show began, Eugene sat up straight and leaned closely with rapt attention. Bernard saw him nod or scoff as Mr. Lincoln shared his story.

As they were exiting, Eugene commented, “That was an enjoyable exhibit. Not quite as many facts on Abraham Lincoln as I expected but engaging, nonetheless. The animatronics is quite advanced for the time they built it. What year was it again?”

“I don’t know. Sometime after 1955,” Bernard replied half-heartedly. “Look, Eugene, the Main Street parade! Now it’s time to watch the type of entertaining Disneyland is known for!”

The two men joined the queue of people at the start of Main Street watching the cars and people cheerfully dance down the road towards the Mickey and Walt Disney statue in front of the castle.

“Wasn’t that great, Eugene? Hearing such lively music always puts me in a better mood!”

“Yes, it was certainly more impressive than Odyssey’s Fourth of July parade. The music was catchy.”

Bernard gasped, “Well put stars and stripes on me and call me a flag; it’s Mickey Mouse!” Bernard pointed behind them underneath one of the trees in the courtyard as a tall, costumed black mouse wearing red pants walked towards the tree with a photographer and cast member following him. “Let’s go!” Bernard pulled Eugene towards the growing line, getting ahead of a family of four, with the younger little boy carrying his autograph book.

“Mr. Walton, this isn’t necessary. I’m not-”

“Nonsense! You can’t go to Disneyland without getting a picture with the Mouse himself!”

“But, Mr. Walton, I’m not a child anymore.” Eugene gestured towards the boy they had passed, who was finding a blank page in his book and readying the pen. The older brother, who was wearing a red baseball cap, kept darting in and out of line, staring strangely at people and trying to sneak up on Mickey Mouse.*

“Jared, get over here!” his father yelled, and the boy immediately obeyed.

“Age doesn’t matter at Disneyland,” Bernard continued. “It’s like Whit says, uh, ‘it’s a place for people of all ages to just be kids.’”

“That’s actually ‘for _kids_ of all ages,’ but I suppose I understand what you’re trying to say. It’s just that-”

“You wanted to have the same experience that you missed out in your childhood, right? Well, getting a picture with Mickey is part of it.”

Eugene stood awkwardly next to Mickey as the mouse placed his hand on Eugene’s back and posed in between the two men. Bernard shook his hand gratefully after the photo. Eugene stood as still as a pole as Mickey waved goodbye at them before greeting the little boy.

“Do they run background checks on you before they hire you?” they heard Jared ask Mickey before they left.

Bernard grinned, “That was a good Mickey. When my nephews met him a few years back, Mickey barely took his time with them. This one had a spring in his step. How do you feel now that you met the Mouse himself?”

“Fine.” Eugene didn’t care to argue again that they were only costumed characters intended to excite children and boost sales within the park.

They made their way down Main Street again, stopping to admire window displays every so often. Eugene tried to look inside the Western Printing Book Shop*, but Bernard insisted they would wait until after the fireworks show. They got one last picture in front of the castle, another “iconic sight” as Bernard explained, before they doubled back to the Jolly Holiday restaurant to grab a bite to eat.

“This restaurant is supposed to be inspired by the _Mary Poppins_ movie. See the penguins there,” he pointed to penguins in stained glass art.

“Makes complete sense,” Eugene muttered. “The Walt Disney company made a lot more movies than I thought. What food do you like to eat here?”

“Well, I like their sandwiches, but it’s a bit early for lunch. We can at least get coffee. It’s hard to find a good cup of coffee. Not like Whit makes it, of course, but pretty good.”

Bernard ordered a muffin, a croissant, and a coffee, and Eugene ordered a quiche with fruit and a water, for a more balanced meal. While they ate, Bernard shared more about his favorite parts of the park. “There’s a cart somewhere around here that sells turkey legs the size of your arm. I feel like that English King from the paintings. King Hubert, I think?”

“King Henry VIII,” Eugene replied.

“Yeah! That’s it, and churros are good here too. As far as rides go, the Disneyland train is a classic. It takes you all through the park. That would be a good one for you, being new to the park and all.”

Eugene nodded half-heartedly and gazed around. Disneyland wasn’t what he was expecting it was going to be. Perhaps he wasn’t destined to be a child, as ironic as that sounded.

“Look, Mommy! It’s Alice!” the young red-haired girl at the table next to them shouted as she pointed to a blond teenager in a blue dress skipping towards the restaurant next door.

“You’re right, sweetie. Maybe we can eat there tomorrow, and you can meet her.”

Eugene watched the girl chatter excitedly to her mom about the prospect of meeting Alice for a moment before standing up to throw away their trash.

“If I remember correctly,” Bernard lifted his hat and scratched his forehead, “that way leads to Tomorrowland, behind the castle is Fantasyland, and over there is Adventureland. Fantasyland is more little kid rides and princess stuff. I don’t go over there. You said you wanted Tomorrowland first?” They started walking again.

“Yes. What’s it like?”  
“Futuristic rides. You’d like it there, I think.”

“Lead the way, Mr. Walton!” he tried to sound enthusiastic.

*The Western Printing Book Shop was a real store that closed in 1995.

*Jared is about 9 years old, and Trent is 4. Their age estimation is very approximate. For the scene in the episodes where Jared says he has a brother who’s almost two, I am guessing he had a second brother no one ever mentions.


	2. Chapter 2

Eugene silently noted how the music changed as they left the front of the castle and entered Tomorrowland. They passed the Star Tours ride and long line that accompanied it. Bernard was surprised Eugene knew what Star Wars was yet hadn’t gotten into it, assuming he was a “‘space geek’ who would get into movies like that”, but Eugene assured him he had never obsessed over movies and television in that way. Bernard joked that they should go on the Astro Planes ride, but Eugene declined again, believing they would get their legs stuck in the rocket when they’d try to get out of the ride. A group of teenagers jogged past either side of them, racing to a gray platform at the end of the area.

“What’s over there, Mr. Walton?”

“I can’t remember. It must be popular with all those kids charging past like a herd of buffalo. I say follow ‘em.”

“Do you want me to check the map?”

“Don’t bother. I’m sure it’s good.”

The pair merged into a second throng of people headed towards the attraction. Inside, it was dark and gave the illusion they had entered the cold, dark starry space. After several twists and turns and flashing lights, they reached the end of the line just as the ride could be visible.

“Oh, no, Eugene, we don’t want to ride this one. It’s, uh, not safe for men like us.” He started trying to push Eugene backwards.

“What do you mean? If these teenagers can ride it, surely we can.” He peered down onto the tracks where four sets of cars approached different gates for passengers to board. “The attendants are strapping people in securely. It’s seems safe enough.”

“But it’s Space Mountain! I’m not riding on this, Eugene!”

“But surely if these young folks can ride on it, then you can. We can’t turn around now. There’s too many people behind us now.”

Their line moved a few more feet.

“But it’s fast. And dark. And we just ate.”

“Nearly a half hour ago. That’s enough time for food to digest through the stomach and enter the-”

“Spare me, please. I’m at risk for getting motion sickness. See? I’m already sweating.” He held out his arms for Eugene to inspect.

“We are here so I can have the ultimate Disneyland experience that my childhood evidently lacked. Missing a poplar ride such as this would surely affect that goal.”

Bernard came up with a few more excuses in vain and entered the fourth and fifth cars with Eugene.

“Secure all loose articles in the bag in front of you and keep arms and legs inside at all times.” The cast member spouted off automatically as he lurched their car forward.

“Dear Jesus, have mercy on us,” Bernard muttered after stowing his hat.

“Should I remove my glasses, or you do think it would be better for me to see the ride in- WHAAAAOOOOAAAAOOOHHHHH!”

The cars shot off into the dark tunnel and transported its passengers on a bumpy, star-lit roller coaster track. Eugene’s senses were overloaded with loud sound effects and screaming, blurred lights contrasted in the dark, and the wind as it whooshed past them. The brakes screeched as they halted where they started, and the handlebars moved up. Eugene stumbled out to his left and a boy a few years younger than him scrambled inside to his right. As he adjusted his glasses back over his hair and nose, he saw an ashen-faced Bernard leaning against the wall.

“M-M-Mr. Walton, are you-”

“Walk, Eugene,” a hollow voice replied.

“After seeing the first attraction, I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” Eugene ventured to comment after they had rested on some appropriately-placed benches outside the ride. His voice sounded more cheery than it had been at the restaurant.

“Never again.”

“Yes, sir. Even though it went well over 30 mph, I thought it was a somewhat fun…” Eugene’s voice trailed off as he saw Bernard glaring at him. He took the map Bernard handed him. “I believe the only two rides left in this land, according to the map, are Autotopia…”

“Not happening.”

“Agreed,” Eugene gazed at the track in the distance and shuddered at his past driving experiences. “Or Submarine Voyage.”

“I’m not getting sick twice in one morning.”

“But it’s on a submarine.” Bernard’s bloodshot eyes met Eugene’s bushy gaze. “Maybe we can ride that one later.”

“Let’s head back towards the castle and decide from there.”

“Right you are,” Eugene replied cheerily. “This direction!”

As they left Tomorrowland and bypassed the growing lines to get pictures in front of the castle, Bernard paused. “Eugene, hand me that map for a second.”

“Here you are.” He studied the castle while Bernard turned over the map. “Looking at it again, I can see how Mr. Disney was inspired by the Germanic Neuschwanstein castle. However, if it was supposed to be in keeping with the 19th century castles, I think they should have-”

“Aha! Thought so. Eugene, we are poised in just about the right position to watch the Aladdin’s Royal Caravan Parade.”

“Oh really? Disneyland has a lot of events to watch. I can understand why they offer three-day passes.”

“Uh-huh. Smart entrepreneurs, the Disney brand is. Let’s walk this way a bit. I think if we stand here, we will catch a clear view of the parade.”

Bernard led them towards the Matterhorn ride and fell in step with other groups of guests walking towards good viewing areas as well. Eugene noticed certain areas were roped off for reserved seating. More people closed in around them as the roped off areas squeezed the guests into a smaller walking space.

A cast member ahead ushered the guests to cross the road. “It’s blocked up ahead; you have to cross left,” his voice boomed.

Eugene obediently followed the crowd as it crossed the road then followed the sidewalk in the same direction they had been walking before. “Mr. Walton, how much further down should we walk? Mr. Walton? Mr. Walton!” Eugene stopped and looked behind him. A double stroller nearly rammed his ankles.

“Keep moving!” the father pushing it said.

“Right, sorry!” Eugene continued down the sidewalk and turned around on his tip toes as many times as he dared, hoping Mr. Walton would show up momentarily. After trying to yell his name again with no success, he moved towards an open spot in the gathering crowd in front of the “It’s a Small World” attraction a few rows back from the sidewalk. As people crowded around him, Eugene decided it would be safest to stay where he was. After the parade as the crowd thinned out, he hoped he would see Mr. Walton. Giving one more futile effort, Eugene jumped up a couple times to look around with still no appearance. An announcer suddenly boomed, “In one minute, you will be transported to Agrabah and be dazzled as you watch ‘Aladdin’s Royal Caravan’ parade!”

 _Hmm, he would be a good radio announcer, maybe for Odyssey 105 or better yet KYDS radio._ *

Children hugged stuffed toys and waved bubble machines, and parents hoisted little ones on their shoulders so they could get the best view. A couple parents pulled their video cameras out so they could make home movies to remember the view.

“Daddy, are you done with your phone call _yet_?” a short-haired brunette girl tugged against her dad’s arm.

“Not yet, Jules!” he murmured to her before returning to his call.*

“Bill, the parade’s about to start,” the mom tried next but with no success. She turned to her daughter and distracted her with talking about what they would do after the parade.

Soon cheery music boomed, much like an instrumental version of “Prince Ali”, and Genie danced down the street, with a brass band playing behind him. The floats behind them featured differently dressed Genies, with Arabian dancers around them. The dancers moved close enough to the audience that children next to their wheelchaired grandparents could touch them. Tall camels were on another float. It looked exactly like the Prince Ali parade from the movie. Finally, Aladdin dressed in his royal clothes waved at the crowd from the top of his tall float. Behind him, a large Abu transformed as an elephant rolled down, with Carpet hovering overhead. Sitting on top was Jasmine with Aladdin again. She waved and blew kisses while glancing lovingly at Aladdin. Jafar’s float was small and simple.

Of course, Eugene didn’t know any of the characters or the lyrics to “Prince Ali” or “Friend Like Me.” That didn’t stop him from marveling at the presentation and wondering what the Disney film had been about. More Disney characters joined the caravan, showing that Aladdin was welcomed into the Disney castle family with open arms. Mickey and Minnie walked down, dressed in their Agrabah finest. At the very end, people marched carrying a large white banner featuring Genie on vacation with the caption, “I’m outta here!”* At this sight, Eugene paid attention to his surroundings again. The crowd left slowly, and Eugene started to feel the worst. Mr. Walton was lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Corey Burton, who voices Cryin’ Bryan Dern, has also done voiceover work in Disneyland.
> 
> *I estimate Jules is about 6 years old here.
> 
> *I described the parade nearly exactly how it happened, taking creative liberties by adding more Disney characters at the end of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Standing on tip toes again and hollering Mr. Walton’s name twice more, Eugene scratched his forehead and sighed. _Where is he? Should I cross the road? No, I’m sure he followed me across. Maybe he walked farther down the road? No, I would have seen him. Maybe he was watching farther back, away from the crowd_. Deciding that was the most logical place to look, Eugene turned around to scan his surroundings. The parade route was now behind him. The “Small World” ride was on his right, with a small gift shop next to it. On his left were bathrooms, and trees were in the middle. Just to be sure, he checked the men’s room with no success. _I doubt he would be in a gift shop._ He decided to walk straight past the trees to see if Mr. Walton had walked back there after the parade. He heard talking and followed the noise to an open-air stage. The sign outside it read “Mickey’s Fantasy Fair”. A mother was lifting her son out of the stroller while her husband nearby was reading off their time schedule.

“Now that we saw both the Fantasy Show and the Aladdin parade, we should be able to wander to our heart’s content until the show in Frontierland. Let’s just keep away from the parade route at 5:00pm.”

“We should be far enough away by then,” the mother was saying as she dusted crumbs off the boy’s overalls.

“Your Goofy costume doesn’t look like the real one.” Startled, Eugene looked down to see a little girl wearing a Minnie Mouse headband in her blond hair done up in a bun. A “Happy Birthday” pin was attached to her Cinderella t-shirt. The girl was staring up at him from his right side.

“But I’m not wearing a costume. I know I’m the only one wearing a vest in this park, from what I’ve seen, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are, as you say, ‘goofy’.”

“Oh okay. Because you’re missing the hat. And your vest needs to be a different color.* It’s my first time at Disneyland too. Are you lost? You’re all by yourself.”

“Huh?” he glanced down at his “First Time” pin and realized how she knew that fact. “Uh, I’m not exactly lost. You see, I lost my companion, Mr. Walton. We were supposed to watch the parade together.”

“That’s why Mommy says I need to stay where she can always see me.”  
“Where are your parents now?”

The girl pointed to the couple by the stroller. “Maybe they can help you. My Daddy’s got a map.”

Before he could protest, the girl pulled him by the hand and led him towards her parents.

“Christopher wanted to ride Peter Pan’s Flight so maybe we can- Jessica! Who is that?” The stroller mom had walked towards Jessica with hand outstretched.

“This is, uh, I’m sorry I didn’t ask your name.”

“Eugene. I-”

“Mr. Eugene. He’s lost, and I thought Daddy could help him find his friend.”

“Jessica, what have we told you about talking to strangers?” her father was now positioning his daughter closer to him.

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I was just trying to help him. I was coming to get you.”

Eugene adjusted his glasses. “Forgive me for intruding. I didn’t mean to get Jessica in trouble.”

The mom spoke, “You didn’t do anything wrong. My daughter loves talking to anyone she sees, but I’ve been trying to teach her she can’t do that all the time.”

“I’m James,” the dad held out his hand, “and this is Barbara,” he gestured to his wife. How can we help?”

Eugene shook it and explained, “I was supposed to watch the parade with my friend, but we got separated in the crowd. I’m not sure where he could be, and I have no map to find my way. This is my first time in the park, you see.” He gestured to his button, which seemed a foolish thing to do since it was clearly visible and felt like badge of shame now.

“Daddy, can we help Mr. Eugene?” Jessica looked up at her father earnestly.

“Why of course we can, princess.” He addressed Eugene again, “Where were you when you last saw him?”

“We were about to cross the road together when we were separated.”

“Oh, by the Matterhorn. Let’s walk back that way.”

“I don’t wish to take up too much of your time.”

“Nonsense,” Barbara spoke up, her son Christopher now strapped back in the stroller and eating “Mickey & Friends” animal crackers. “It’s not the Christian way to ignore a person in need.”

“My most humble expression of gratitude to you all.” Eugene stood a little straighter, encouraged that he may be able to find Mr. Walton any moment.

James led the way with Barbara and the stroller nearly next to him. Eugene was right behind them, with Jessica striding to keep up next to Eugene.

“I don’t remember when I went to Disneyland when I was little, so it feels like my first time. Mommy and Daddy have been here lots of times,” she explained as she adjusted her small crossbody Princess bag. “My parents said that if I work really hard in math, we can go away on a trip for my birthday. I wanted to go to Disneyland! It’s my birthday on Thursday.” She skipped a step.

“I’m glad you were able to get better grades in math. Math is such an important part of life. How old will you be turning?”

“Eight! And Christopher is two. Have you been on that ride yet?” Jessica pointed at the manmade snow-capped gray mountain. “It looks scary.”

“No, I confess I haven’t been on many rides yet. Have you been on a lot of rides?”

“We went on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the Pinocchio Ride and the carousel and the Dumbo ride. Then I met Princess Aurora, Belle, and Princess Cinderella.” She proudly pointed to her t-shirt. “Then we watched the parade.”

“Wow, you’ve seen a lot. Is Princess Cinderella your favorite character?”

“Yes! I have blond hair and blue eyes like her. And she’s one of the nicest princesses ever. She does her work without complaining and never says a mean thing, even after her wicked stepmother is mean to her.”

“Shhh, Jessica, don’t talk Mr. Eugene’s ear off,” Barbara glanced over her shoulder.

“I don’t mind at all. I work at an ice cream shop back home. I’m used to children. And please, call me ‘Eugene.’ That’s what they all call me.”

After they crossed the road, Eugene said, “I last remember seeing Mr. Walton right here before the Disney, uh, cast member ushered us to cross the road.”

“Maybe he stayed on this side.” James suggested.

“True. Mr. Walton!” Eugene called, looking around a few structures. Jessica and her family waited a minute while Eugene looked around. “I don’t see him. I asked a few people who were watching the parade, and they didn’t notice him either. The odds that they would have seen him were quite low.”

“Let’s look for a cast member,” suggested Barbara. “They might be able to help us.”

“And Lost and Found is at City Hall,” commented James.

“Oh, that’s all the way up at the front,” Eugene countered. “I’ve already inconvenienced all of you enough. If you just point me in the direction of a map, I can find my way around.”

“You can’t roam Disneyland by yourself. It’s overwhelming enough with a family,” Barbara argued. “Please, stay with us, Eugene, until we find a cast member.”

“Maybe we’ll run into your friend,” James added.

“Please stay, Eugene.” Jessica gave him the same pleading look she had given her father earlier. “We can explore Disneyland together.”

“Well.” Eugene suspected they knew more about maneuvering around Disneyland than Bernard did. He would certainly experience more than he would with Bernard. He would be bound to catch up with him soon. There was something about this family’s openness and warmth that gave him a sense of security, that he didn’t want to say goodbye to just yet.

“Yes!”

Jessica cheered, her parents gave approval, and even Christopher seemed to babble in delight.

“Can we ride on the Storybook Parade boat ride, since it’s just right here?” Jessica pointed to a short line that was back across the road.

Barbara nodded. “Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Compare Goofy’s original outfit to Eugene’s clothes. The resemblance is uncanny!


	4. Chapter 4

“I feel like I’m moving with a herd of salmon!” Bernard complained. “Wait, Eugene, I dropped my map,” he muttered as he stooped over. When he stood back up, he kept walking straight.

“Sir, do you have a reservation?” The cast member slid in front of him.

“What? No, I didn’t think you needed one for the parade.”

“This is the reserved section. You’ll have to walk across the road.”

“Since when do you get reserved seating for a parade? I don’t even see a sign!”

“It’s for people who need accessible seating accommodations.”

“Ah, well, what about older gentlemen who don’t know their way around Disneyland very well?”

He gave Bernard a sympathetic look and leaned over, “If you walk across the road and move down towards the front of the Storybook Parade ride, you’ll have a great view.”

“Gee, thanks very much.” Bernard thought how nice the Disney employees were and crossed the road once the traffic director allowed people to cross over again.

“Attention, Disneyland guests, Aladdin’s Royal Caravan Parade will be starting now. Please sit back and enjoy the show.”

With the announcer alerting Bernard, he moved quickly back the way he came, towards the front of the Storybook Parade boat ride. He sidled next to a couple around his age and started to crane his neck to see if he could see Eugene or the start of the parade. _I’m sure he crossed already. If I don’t see him now, I’m sure I’ll bump into him after the parade._

Bernard stared as Genie started his animated dance down the street to lead the caravan, and he forced himself to relax. The band and the talented dancers were his favorite part, and he couldn’t help but snap a few pictures with his camera.

Once the parade ended, Bernard quickly followed the crowd and reasoned that if he could get towards the front of the crowd leaving, he could catch Eugene as he was walking past him.

“I wish I had my bucket,” Bernard said once he reached the end of the narrow, blocked-off road near the back end of the castle. “I could stand on it to be more visible.” He stood off to the side and gazed into the crowd as it swelled past him and started breaking off into different factions. “Eugene!” he hollered. “EUGENE!!!” After another minute, “EUGENE MELTSNER!!”

“Excuse me, sir,” a college-aged cast member asked, “Do you need some help?”

“Maybe,” Bernard grumbled and half-faced the man, half-fixed his eyes out towards the thinning crowd. “I lost my friend. We were supposed to be watching the parade, but we got separated.”

“Let me radio another cast member to see if they see him. If not, I suggest checking City Hall. They are equipped to handle such situations. What’s your friend look like?”

“Thanks! He’s about 6’2, 120 pounds, brown, shaggy hair, and oversized black glasses.”

After a few minutes on the radio and Bernard pacing and periodically screeching Eugene’s name, the cast member gently said, “There’s been no response. I would say your best chance is to get to City Hall. Do you know where that is?”

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbled and added, “Thanks anyways for your help.”

“My pleasure. Good luck finding your friend.”

Once he was on his own, Bernard allowed himself a minute to rant. “Of course, you would get yourself lost in Disneyland, Eugene! It’s not enough that we were stranded in another town for a week and ended up in jail for another few days. Why not get lost with thousands of other people?” He took a few deep breaths and continued on his way to Main Street. “I hope I don’t end up missing him completely. I doubt he walked all the way back here. Knowing Eugene, he’s probably too busy trying to find moss on a tree or calculating the sun’s shadow on an object.”

Bernard walked up the steps and tentatively walked inside. It reminded him oddly of Odyssey’s City Hall, maybe because they were both old buildings. Bernard stood in line behind a frantic looking mother holding her young son’s hand.

“Next please!” the gray-haired woman behind the desk called. She was dressed in what resembled a dark blue conductor’s uniform. The mother walked up to the desk and leaned forward in an intense conversation. Bernard continued wondering where Eugene would have gone.

“Jared!” the mother at the counter cried out, breaking Bernard from his reverie.

A boy, Bernard would guess nine years old, wearing a familiar-looking red baseball cap came out from another room. The mother squeezed him tight and began reprimanding him.

Jared explained, “I thought Donald was acting suspicious, so I followed him into his break room. They didn’t even see me at first because I hid under the table. I was sure a secret agent was hidden in his costume, but it turned out it was a guy from-”

“I don’t want to hear another word. Hold Trent’s backpack and let’s go.” She thrust a red Sebastian bag in his hand and turned him around by his shoulders. She then yanked her younger son’s hand and held Jared’s hand in her right.

“But, Mom, I’m too old for-”

“You act like a four-year-old, you get treated like a four-year-old. Your father is furious with you.” They strode past Bernard, and the woman behind the counter called for the next customer.

“How can I help you?” she asked sweetly. Her name tag read “Debbie.”

“Hello, Debbie, I’m traveling with my friend, and we were supposed to watch the parade, but we got separated while we were trying to find a place to watch it. It’s his first time at Disneyland, and I don’t know where he is.”

“Don’t worry, sir, you’d be surprised how often this has happened. Can you tell me a bit about your friend?”

Bernard shared the same details he told the other cast member he met. Then he filled out a form answering similar questions. Debbie explained that the report would be passed along to the security and other cast members who were stationed throughout the park. They would keep an eye out and report anyone matching the description to City Hall. Bernard could choose to wait at the hall or check back to see if they heard anything.

“I think I’ll try to find him on my own. An extra pair of eyes won’t hurt. Besides, I don’t want to stay inside waiting for him.”

“I understand,” Debbie answered. “Please come back if you have any questions or if you find him.”

“Thank you, I will.” Bernard walked back and looked at the other guests wandering happily about the park. _That used to be us not an hour ago. Why’d you have to go and mess it up, Eugene? Where could you have gone? He did want to go in that bookstore on Main Street. Maybe there’s a chance he’s there._


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you getting hungry, Eugene?” Barbara asked while they stood in line for the Mad Tea Party. “I have an extra sandwich in the stroller.”

“Ah, no thank you, Mrs. Malone. From the looks of this ride, I shouldn’t eat anything before riding.” Eugene glanced into the crowd of people walking past them, a habit he started once he joined the Malones. He and Mr. Walton had been separated for over a half hour now.

“It doesn’t look like it goes too fast,” Jessica leaned on the siderails to have a better view, until her mother instructed her to get down and stand like a lady.

“Have you ever been to Hollywood, Mr. Eugene?”

“No. This is my first time in California.”

“Wow. We live an hour away from here. I like to think that Disneyland is like Hollywood.”

“Why?”

“This is where we get to meet all the Disney stars! We get to see their houses, their friends, their favorite rides. Well, maybe not everything, but you can see a lot here. I can even get their autographs! We have five so far. What did you say it was like, Mommy? Grits and?”

Barbara laughed. “No, ‘glitz’ and glamour. That means all the sparkle and fancy clothes.”

“I don’t see much of that here,” Eugene replied.

James chuckled. “Wait until we take her to the Bippity Boppity Boutique on Thursday.”

They were at the turnstile now with a cast member ushering people in. “Go on through. Go ahead. You can go.”

Jessica tugged Eugene behind her as she ran towards a pink teacup. Someone beat them to it and she quickly rerouted to a baby blue one. Barbara got in next to Jessica while James and Christopher clambered into a yellow teacup so they could move slower. “The Very Merry Unbirthday” song loudly began, and the teacups swayed back and forth.

“There’s no seatbelt?” Eugene tried not to sound panicked.

“No,” Barbara explained, “you hold onto the center handle and turn it to spin faster.”

“You mean, we’ll be spinning around as the ride moves?” he called over the music as Jessica turned the handle with all her might. “The centripetal force that would normally keep us in place may not help if the ride sways the cups so quickly!”

Jessica’s giggles drowned out Barbara’s reply, and Eugene did his best not to crush into her as he moved. He situated his body so the weight would be more evenly distributed and held on to the handle as Jessica and her mom churned the cup faster. After what seemed like fifteen minutes, the ride winded down.

“Did you see how fast we were spinning, Daddy? Did you like it, Christopher?” her brother nodded his head as Jessica held his hand back to the stroller.

“You alright, Eugene?” James asked.

“Mmm-hmm. Just a few more deep breaths,” he answered shakily.

“Daddy! Can we go into the Mad Hatter shop, please?”

“Jessica, you already have a nice Minnie Mouse headband.”

“It’s not for me. It’s for Mr. Eugene.”

“I don’t need to dress like Minnie Mouse.”

“No, it can be any hat you want, but you need an ear hat while you’re in Disneyland.”

“I suppose the hat could provide me with some sort of sun protection, if nothing else.”

After trying on several models, the Malone family agreed that the Mickey Ears hat suited Eugene best. Against his instincts, he bought the hat and put it on while the Malones waited outside.

Jessica clasped her hands together. “You look perfect, Mr. Eugene! Like you really belong in Disneyland!”

“Thank you, Jessica. You can call me ‘Eugene’. It’s quite alright.”

She giggled and asked her parents, “Where are we going next?”

“Pirates!” Christopher trilled from his stroller seat.

“That’s right!” Barbara said. “James, we promised Christopher we would ride Peter Pan’s Flight after the parade.”

“And he wanted to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride too!” Jessica reminded them.

“Right,” James was silent for a minute as he studied the map. “Based on where we’re at, Peter Pan’s Flight is very close by. Then, we can head towards New Orleans Square.”

“Oh, I forgot about that Western show in Frontier Land we wanted to see. Can we make it?”

Eugene listened mesmerized as they strategized how they would maneuver their way through the park, much like how he reflected on the best way to troubleshoot the Imagination Station or design a computer program. The Malones showed such…solidarity. They acted as one team, looking out for each other’s needs, fueled by…love. Eugene hadn’t seen such love since he had moved to Odyssey.

“Right, let’s move!” James smiled as he wheeled the stroller in line to where they were headed. He whistled, “Heigh Ho,” and Jessica skipped and sang along.

“Sing with me!” Jessica looked at Eugene.

“I don’t know all the words,” Eugene sheepishly admitted. He almost wished, almost, that he did know the lyrics to this odd ditty.

“They’re easy. ‘Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work I go.’”

Hesitantly, Eugene sang along. After singing it through three times, he started singing with more enthusiasm. The wait for Peter Pan’s Flight was at least a half hour, and during that time, Jessica taught him more of her favorite songs, mostly from the princess movies. After the second song, Eugene politely said he’d listen to the music rather than try singing along, since she “sounded much more like how a princess would sing.”

Jessica ended her concert after another five minutes and changed the subject. “Have you seen the new _Lion King_ movie yet?”

“No, I confess I haven’t, although I do remember seeing a poster advertising for that movie upon my arrival here. Have you seen it?”

“Yes! It was amazing! It’s about a lion named Simba who wants to be king like his dad, but he’s too little. But his mean uncle kills his dad because he wants to be king, and Simba leaves home because he’s all sad, but then he meets Timon and Pumba and he’s happy again. He grows up, falls in love with Nala, and goes back home to fight his Uncle Scar. Simba wins, and they live happily ever after!”

Eugene was taken aback by how thoroughly Jessica could summarize the plot in such a short amount of time. “Wow, that does sound like an entertaining film. Also, somewhat familiar…” He scratched his scalp. “Yes! They stole the plot from _Hamlet_! What an odd way to tell Shakespeare plays to children.”

The group decided to split up into two different carriages for the ride, girls in one and boys in the other. Eugene was happy he could show Christopher a little attention for a change. Christopher sat in the middle, his feet dangling off the seat, and he clapped his hands as soon as the ride started. Unlike the other rides he’d been on so far, this ride was attached to the ceiling, and Eugene soon realized why. Most of the ride’s scenery was on the _floor_ , instead of at their sides. As soon as Peter Pan’s voice called, “Here we go!!!” Christopher giggled and shouted, “We’re flying!”

“We are flying!” said Eugene as he looked down at the great pains the engineers had taken to design the floor to create the illusion that they were actually airborne.

“A most enjoyable ride!” he commented when they joined up at the exit.

“Again!”

“No, Christopher,” James said gently, “we have to hurry, or we’ll miss the Wild West show!” He loaded his son in the stroller, and they were off.


	6. Chapter 6

Bernard stood at the end of Main Street with the map poised in his hand. He had checked the bookstore thoroughly with no success. The two cast members he talked to didn’t remember seeing Eugene in the store either. After checking inside a couple more stores with no success, Bernard supposed Eugene wasn’t on Main Street and decided to consult the map to reason where Eugene would have wandered after the parade.

He muttered, “I doubt Eugene would’ve stayed in Fantasyland. If he walked out of the parade past the castle, Eugene could have wandered into Frontierland. He liked the sound of it earlier. I know he’s not on Main Street, and I don’t think he’d go back to Tomorrowland. Well, Frontierland, here I come!”

He folded up the map and headed in the proper direction. However, a quick walk down the main road and calling his name multiple times proved fruitless. Bernard stopped by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad near the end of the land and sighed, “I doubt he would have wandered this far. Maybe I’ll check New Orleans Square next.”

He was so focused on his mission that he didn’t realize he passed the turkey leg stand. New Orleans Square was smaller than he remembered. After wandering in front of the couple attractions located there, he thought he would take a short cut down a narrow walkway. Stores filled with high-end accessories and souvenirs lined either side of him. “At least they keep these shop windows clean, so I don’t have to look inside of these. I bet Disney pays top dollar to have those windows washed. Imagine having an account with them!”

He saw some patio furniture under an awning ahead on his right side. He walked to the front and saw he was on the main road again. A sign above the awning shone “French Market.” The food smelled delicious, and he remembered he hadn’t eaten since the morning. _Well, I need to have fuel if I’m going to keep wandering the park trying to find him._ Inside, the restaurant was set up like a gourmet cafeteria: a metal barred shelf was underneath display windows, so you could slide your tray along the shelf to select your food. Bernard went simply with the Corn Chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and sat down outside. There weren’t too many people around; either other restaurants looked more appetizing or kids cared more about exploring than eating.

Bernard couldn’t help but notice the family sitting at a table in front and slightly to the left of him. The toddler sitting in between the parents kept trying to stand up or reach for something across the table. The sister was waving her fork around like it was a magic wand or royal scepter. _They better keep a tight leash on those kids. I know something’s going to happen_. Sure enough, the father left to throw away two of the trays, and the mom was stuffing leftover napkins in a tote bag. The daughter leapt off the table, her scepter arm knocking over her open milk carton. The toddler was standing on the bench again and reached for the cookies in the center of the table. Slipping in the milk, the sister’s tray slid onto the floor, knocking into the last tray and tipping over the contents of both onto the seats and floor. Bernard winced at the mess, swiftly wiped his fingers on a napkin, and strode over.

“Here let me help you with that,” he stooped over to pick up the tray.

“Thank you!” the mother sighed with relief. “You look away for a second.” She glanced at her daughters’ stained clothes and saw her toddler’s eyes welling with tears. Then she spoke to her bewildered husband walking back, “Mark, I have to get the girls cleaned up. Tell someone about this.” The mother left for the bathroom with a daughter in each hand. Bernard stacked the trash that had fallen on the tray as Mark walked inside to notify someone of the mess. He briefly thanked Bernard too and left to join his wife.

“I didn’t mean to take over completely,” he grumbled as he reach under the table for the lost fork scepter. Black wheels on a gray cart rolled towards the table, and Bernard stood to see a Hispanic man about fifteen years older than he was unfolding the yellow “Caution” sign. His name tag read, “Emilio.”

“ _Gracias, señor_ , but I can clean this up,” he spoke with a smile and thick accent.

“Oh I’m used to it. See, I’m a janitor back at home.”

“I see! Well, I’m sure you don’t want to spend your vacation doing work. That’s why I’m here.” Emilio deftly pulled on gloves and pulled a hand squeegee from his back pocket.

“Hey! That’s a nice squeegee, with that scrubbing pad on the back. Where did you get it?”

“Mickey makes sure we are supplied with the best tools to make this place look magical. I confess I never thought to ask where he found them.”

“Too bad. I’d buy some to bring home with me. Where’s your bucket? I can ask them for some water.”

“ _No nesecita ayudeme_. I can do it, really.”

“I feel somewhat responsible. I was watching the kids and could tell a mess was coming. I guess experience around kids and messes has given me a kind of sixth sense for it. I could have prevented it. Can I use this one?” Bernard held up a red bucket dangling off the cart.

“Yes,” Emilio replied with a brief shake of his head afterwards, probably at Bernard’s stubbornness. Bernard brought back the bucket brimming with water from the restaurant. He added the soap and mixed it around with the mop. He chatted with Emilio for a few minutes on the most creative ways they had to mop up floors, and Bernard ended up showing Emilio a different way to mop away the mess.

“Anytime you’re in Odyssey, feel free to look me up!” Bernard shook Emilio’s hand warmly.

“I will. And _buena suerte_ in finding your friend! Try to look at your problem from another perspective.”

“Thanks,” Bernard sighed. _Maybe I should go back to City Hall and wait for him there._ Bernard started walking again when a group of three Japanese guests were standing in the middle of the road trying to talk to people as they walked past. _What do they want?_ Bernard started to widen his distance from them as he walked past until he heard them.

“Help? Map?” the man and his wife asked in broken English.

Bernard stopped, sighed, and turned back. “Are you folks lost?”

“ _Hai, chizu wa arimasu ka?_ Uh, yes. Map?” The man eagerly turned to Bernard.

“I have a map. What are you trying to find?”

The young girl with them answered, “ _Miwaku no tikirūmu_.”

Bernard shook his head, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

She tried again, “ _Tori_. Bird.”*

“Bird? Oh, are you looking for the Enchanted Tiki Room?”

“ _Hai_!” they nodded.

“That’s here,” Bernard pointed on his map, “in Adventureland.”

“ _Kore o karite mo ī desu ka_?” The father pointed at the map.

Bernard shrugged his shoulders. “What did you ask?”

The man pointed again at the map.

“Oh! No, I’m sorry, but I need this map. I need to find my friend.” Now they looked confused. Bernard added, “But I can take you there.” He pointed at himself then to Adventureland and all of them. “I’ll take you there.”

He was met with smiles, nods, and “ _Arigatōgozaimasu_!”

Bernard pointed to himself. “Bernard.”

“Ryunosuke,” the man replied, gesturing to himself.

“Great to meet you,” Bernard smiled. “Follow me!” The family eagerly followed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tori can be a reference to the Odyssey character featured in Clubhouse Magazine.


	7. Chapter 7

The Malone family and Eugene crossed in front of the castle and were making their way to the Frontierland entrance when Jessica stopped short and pointed, “Look, Mommy!!! It’s Peter Pan!” She looked at her mom for silent permission, who nodded, and then ran over towards him.

“Catch up to her, please,” Barbara said to her husband as she took over the stroller.

Eugene watched next to Barbara as Jessica waited her turn to meet Peter Pan with her dad. _Surely she must know he’s not real._

Jessica giggled as Peter plopped his hat on her head while he signed her book, then pointed out their shadows and asked how she managed to keep hers so well behaved.

_She does believe him._

“Thank you!” Jessica waved behind her shoulder as she scurried back to her family. “He was so nice. And patient too. I’m sure he saw lots of kids today. Do you think the Peter Pan you first met looked like that, Mommy?”

It took Eugene a moment before he fully processed Jessica’s ongoing conversation with her mom. _She realizes they’re only actors, yet…that fact doesn’t seem to faze her. She still finds the Meet and Greet exhilarating._

Eugene and the Malone family walked left of the castle and crossed into Frontierland.

“Disneyland must have quite a landscaping crew,” he remarked after passing a patch of carefully manicured flowers. After souvenir shops and fair-stylized games, they merged into the main road and walked towards the Golden Horseshoe Restaurant, where they had seating reservations to see the Wild West show. A lake was on their right with a tall, white riverboat drifting alongside them. Eugene dared to stare at it a moment before he hurried along to catch up to the Malones. Then he saw the back of a man wearing jeans, a blue baseball cap, and a blue long-sleeved shirt.

“I think that’s…Mr. Walton! Mr. Walton, I found you!” Eugene ran towards the man.

The man turned around, and Eugene skidded to a halt and turned bright red. “My sincerest apologies sir. I was certain you were my lost companion.”

The man shrugged and continued talking with his group, and Eugene headed back to the Malones.

“I’m sorry, Eugene,” Barbara patted his back.

“It’s quite alright. Mr. Walton is around here, somewhere.”

They made it just in time for the restaurant reservations at the Golden Horseshoe. The Malones picked a table that was in the second row, middle section, of the dining tables in front of the saloon stage. A sign on the stage read, “Golden Horseshoe Jamboree Show.” The stage was empty, with the red velvet curtains drawn tightly shut.

James looked at his watch. “The show should be starting in about ten minutes.”

“Perfect, I’m going to take the kids to the bathroom now then. Stall if the waiter comes by.”

“What looks good to you, Eugene?” asked James as he picked up a menu.

Eugene studied it a minute, imagining the calories in loaded potato skins and chili-soaked macaroni and cheese bites when he simply said, “The mixed greens salad sounds delicious.”

James nodded slightly and politely remarked, “Yes, that could be good.”

“Please don’t think I’m expecting you to pay for my food. I’ll have my food on a separate bill.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I insist! You and your family have taken me into your family today. I couldn’t be more grateful, but I don’t want to impose on you in more ways than I have to.”

James kept silent, knowing he couldn’t win this particular fight. When the waiter came by, he ordered three waters and two milks and explained they’d order their food shortly. His wife came back a couple more minutes later.

“Can you see from where you’re seated, Jessica?” Eugene asked. “I could find a booster seat.”

“I can see great, thank you!” Jessica readjusted her Minnie ears and sat up straighter in her chair. Her feet dangled off the side of the chair, as she was positioned directly in front of the stage.

When their food arrived, James asked, “Eugene, you wouldn’t mind if we prayed, do you?”

He hesitated for the slightest moment before answering, “No, not at all. I’ve grown accustomed to that ritual with my friends.”

James smiled and prayed, “Dear God, thank you for this food we have before us and for blessing us with a new friend in our company. Please help him be reunited with his friend soon. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

His family echoed “Amen,” and Eugene nodded. Just as they started eating, the lights dimmed, indicating that the show would be starting, and Eugene pushed his glasses closer to his face. He only had a vague idea what to expect from the show and caught himself feeling excitement at the anticipation. As he surmised, a group of entertainers dressed up in late 19th century Western country apparel and bright makeup made an energetic entrance onto the stage.

“I know this song!” Eugene smiled during the group’s third performance. “It was written in 18-”

“How do you know it, Mr. Eugene?!” Jessica leaned closer to him to make sure she was heard over the loud music.

“I learned it in elementary school, while I was playing the ukulele. I wish I had it now, the ukulele, I mean.”

Barbara handed Christopher another chicken nugget and pointed to Jessica’s milk, a silent command her daughter obeyed half-heartedly.

“It’s rather an interesting story,” he explained in a low voice. “I recall when I was young, a year or so younger than Jessica, that I stayed with my uncle for a brief time. He had an ukulele and let me start playing on it when I asked him about it. When I went to live with the Burnetts, my, uh, foster parents, (he lowered his voice here for Jessica’s sake, but she was too engrossed in the stage show to listen) they encouraged me to continue taking lessons. Those lessons helped me earn a pass in my music grade. I suppose I’ve always been drawn to ballads.”*

Barbara’s face had softened, and Eugene prepared himself for the sympathy comments about his upbringing he had grown so accustomed to hearing. “That’s wonderful you still learned to play,” she said instead. Eugene smiled in gratitude.

“What a different instrument for someone to learn too,” James added.

“My friends at Whit’s End, my workplace back home, enjoy it whenever I play. Although Ms. Kendall does pull out earplugs when I start singing too.”

Eugene couldn’t help but sing along to another popular song he recognized in the show, and after twenty minutes, they stood up with the rest of the guests to clap for the Jamboree players.

“I can see why you wanted to watch this show,” Eugene commented as they walked out. “Aside from the dialog and modern instruments, that felt like a historically accurate performance.”

“I liked their clothes,” Jessica grinned. “They were having fun on stage.”

“James, the Mark Twain steamboat is coming back. Let’s go. A relaxing ride while our stomachs settle.”

“Great idea!”

Barbara led the way across the road to the boat, and they made it on board with the rest of the waiting group. At Jessica’s request, they went to the top deck, with Eugene stopping to admire that they were on “a fully operational steamboat.” Jessica leaned into the railing as they listened to the Mark Twain narrator and waved at the crowd below walking in the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This is a reference to the country western songs actor Will Ryan has written and played. I also wondered how Eugene got around to playing the ukulele in the first place. Maybe this is how.


	8. Chapter 8

The walk to Adventureland was relatively quiet, at least on Bernard’s end. He could hear the family he was guiding talking in low voices amongst themselves. When they crossed under the wooden Adventureland sign, Bernard heard several different bird calls, whether real or recorded, he couldn’t be sure. Then immediately on their left was the Enchanted Tiki Room.

“There it is!” Bernard pointed to the sign with a grin.

“ _Arigatōgozaimasu_!” they echoed again and half-bowed their heads towards him.

“My pleasure! Oh, wait a minute!” He held up his hand in a stop gesture and approached the cast member standing nearby.

“Excuse me, do you happen to have a spare map on you? This group doesn’t have one.” He pointed back to the family watching him.

“Certainly,” the cast member said warmly, and he pulled out a map from his back pocket and handed it to the group.

“Bye, Ryunosuke. Bye, guys!” Bernard waved.

The parents nodded toward him and the girl waved.

When the cast member walked back, Bernard asked, “Excuse me, one more thing. I had lost my friend about,” he glanced down at his watch, “two hours ago now. I reported it to City Hall but wondered if you heard anything.”

“I’ll check for you,” he answered. Bernard waited while the cast member checked in on his walkie. “Sorry, no reports.”

“Thanks anyways.” To himself he murmured, “Since I’m here, I might as well take a walk around.” He walked briskly while taking the time to peer into shops or around at people’s faces.

As time ticked by, Bernard continued muttering, “Of course he has me looking for him at the hottest part of the day.” He lifted his hat and used a clean window rag from his back pocket to mop his forehead. “I just can’t leave Disneyland without him. How can I explain it to Whit and the gang back home? ‘I’m sorry, everyone, but I lost Eugene in Disneyland. He didn’t want to leave.’ I know it’s the happiest place on earth, but the park doesn’t deserve to have Eugene roaming around it all the time, having Eugene suck it dry of all magic and mystery with his explanations and lack of sense of humor.”

After a couple occasional calls, Bernard stopped and leaned against a tree. A group of teenagers walked past him but stopped at the insistence of one of the girls.

“Are you looking for someone?” she asked Bernard. “I thought I heard you calling.”

“Yes, my friend, Eugene. He’s tall, thin, has overgrown brown hair, and round, large black glasses.”

“I haven’t seen him. Have you guys seen him?” she turned and asked her friends.

“No, I don’t think so, Cindy*,” one of her friends replied.

“I’m sorry,” Cindy turned back to Bernard. “I hope you find him,” she started to walk past him.

One boy, a junior Bernard guessed, hung back. “I think I might have seen him.”

“Really? Where?!” he restrained himself from grabbing the boy by the shoulders.

“He was wearing jeans and a white shirt, right?” the boy continued after Bernard nodded. “I saw him walking in line for that ride.” The boy pointed to the Jungle Cruise ride. The lines were quite short and moving steadily.

“Great! Thank you so much!” he trotted towards the ride’s entrance. This was the most hope Bernard had felt all day. He couldn’t imagine why Eugene would take a ride while he was lost. Maybe he wanted to pass the time or was drawn to it because it was educational. He hopped in line and cut around one or two small moving groups, craning his neck up to see if he could spot Eugene.

“Excuse me,” he said to the people he passed. “I’m trying to catch up with my friend.” A few yards away, a tall, skinny man wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and black glasses was moving in the single passenger line. Bernard clambered over one chain rope before anyone could reprimand him.

“Eugene! Excuse me, ma’am. Eugene, stop!”

The man didn’t turn around. As Bernard nudged his way through with apologies, he saw the man stand in line to board the next boat that was unloading passengers. By a stretch of a miracle, he got in line to be on the same boat.

“Eugene!” he reached for the man’s shoulder but missed as the man stepped on the boat. He followed him quickly.

“Ouch!” Bernard’s head clunked into the top rim of the boat. He ducked and sat down next to the man, nudging his arm. “Eugene, are you deaf?”

The man turned around to reveal fake oversized glasses and a t-shirt with an image of Mickey squeezing Pluto over the caption “Best of Buds.”

“Oh, I am terribly sorry. Please forgive me. I thought you were someone else.” Bernard blushed and moved a couple seats away. The boat was already in motion. Too late for him to turn back. _I should have questioned it when I didn’t see a dorky vest._

“Good afternoon, my name is Skipper Lucia, and I’ll be your tour guide for this boat cruise through _la selva_ or the jungle! Now before we get too far along our journey, I must warn you all to watch out for these carnivorous vines. Last week, one of them reached into the back of the boat and pulled a woman right out. It was awful! And just before she disappeared, she was feeling just vine.” *

Most of the passengers grinned or chuckled. Bernard groaned and settled back. This ride was going to be excruciatingly long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bernard was the first one off the boat and walked quickly out the exit until he found a secluded place to stop and clear his head. Again he started muttering, “How could I have been so gullible to believe that Eugene had actually been in line for a ride? There’s no way he’d step anywhere near it, with all those puns in the script. He’s probably trying to invent some sort of homing signal or gadget to locate me. I don’t understand why we haven’t found each other yet. It’s been…” he glanced at his watch. “Over three hours since the parade. If he’s not trying to look for me, where else could he possibly be?! I probably look like a lunatic, talking to myself and pacing in the corner.” He stopped and looked around, as if Eugene would suddenly appear from a crowd.

_Why did we even come here in the first place? It was supposed to be a nice day to watch a cute parade, eat lots of good food, and give Eugene a belated childhood memory. Instead, I got sick on a ride, lost Eugene, and only ate two quick meals. Half the day is gone. I wouldn’t even be here searching for him if it weren’t for that hair-brained boy! Wait a minute; stop this thinking._

Then, looking towards heaven, he mumbled, “I have tried everything I know to look for that boy, Lord. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of, but I still can’t find him! One delay in this trip after another. It’s not what I had in mind! But, Lord, you have a reason for this. Maybe it’s to test my patience, which is working. Maybe it’s to teach me something. I don’t know. I hope you’ll show me soon though. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’ve tried to try to find Eugene on my own. Too often I forget that I can’t rely on my own strength, but I need to rely on Yours. Please help Eugene, wherever he is. I know You love and care about him, even if he doesn’t think so. Please, help me find him before we get locked in the park together tonight.”

Bernard was silent, taking in the fact that he was here at Disneyland, here in the Lord’s peace. Suddenly, a divinely inspired thought came to him.

“Wait! Perspective. That’s it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cindy is a reference to an obscure character, Cindy Johnson. In “The Barclay’s Ski Vacation”, Donna is envious of Cindy’s luxurious vacations. I’m sure her family went to Disneyland before.
> 
> *The pun is actually from the Jungle Cruise script and not an original.


	9. Chapter 9

Gathering his bag, Bernard walked out into the street, away from the construction site he had been near *, and after finding his bearings, he opened his map. “If I walk back through here and around that way, yes, I’ll find it in a few minutes. First, I’ll need something to see with. I bet I can find it there.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, Bernard walked back towards the beginning of Adventureland then took a shortcut back into New Orleans Square. He found the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop and bought a toy telescope inside. Once he bought the telescope he needed, he went in search of Swiss Family Robinson’s Treehouse. As he walked, he thought about his experience back at the French Market Restaurant. _I was meant to talk with Emilio. Without him, I wouldn’t have this idea. Better yet, I wouldn’t have been able to help him, or that family, or those tourists. There’s a silver lining to losing Eugene after all._

The sign was so small for the Treehouse attraction that he walked right past it and had to double back. _There!_ Looking around to see if there were any witnesses to a middle-aged man holding a toy telescope about to walk up a treehouse by himself, Bernard walked up the spiral staircase. _I wonder how this compares to that treehouse the kids always talk about? What was it called again? WonderWorld._ Bernard stopped to stare out towards the ground. He continued climbing after seeing he wasn’t high enough, passing a boy and his grandmother.

“Nana, where’s his grandkids?”

“Shh, keep walking. Disneyland is for people of all ages.”

_I know I look foolish. But I’m convinced for some reason that this is going to work!_

Bernard decided not to stop again until he reached the very top. Thankfully, no one else was there. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see, a neon arrow pointing him in the right direction or an oversized Eugene sticking out amongst the crowd. He carefully scanned each section of the ground, staring back and forth like a helicopter’s light sweep. _I never noticed how everybody always wears the same hats._ Then, Bernard rubbed his eyes as he double backed over a spot. He saw the Mark Twain steamboat pulling up to the dock, and as his telescope glossed past the passengers, Bernard could see the skinny frame of a person wearing a white and black top and blue bottoms. The sunlight reflected off something the person was wearing.

“Glasses?!”

The person disappeared in the crowd. Bernard knew it was a long shot that was Eugene, but he had to try.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eugene and the Malone family followed the rest of the passengers off the Mark Twain steamboat and walked along the main road.

“Pirates again?” Christopher chirped at his mom. She was pushing his stroller, but he was holding onto its side walking next to it. 

Barbara looked over to James.

“I’m on it!” he pulled out the map. “Let’s turn left up here and follow the path down.”

“Christopher won’t be afraid of seeing pirates?” Eugene asked tentatively. “I realize the ones we saw on Peter Pan’s Flight weren’t frightening, but I can’t be certain about this ride. Historically, pirates weren’t the sword-fighting, song-singing men you see depicted in stories and the movies. They were actually quite ruthless, and any pillaging scenes would be quite, uh, [he glanced down at Jessica] gory.”

“Not to worry, Eugene,” James replied. “While the ride is dark and at moments fast, Christopher is not easily frightened by much of, well, anything. Not like Jessica was.” He patted her head.

“But I’m not afraid anymore! I know that Jesus is with me. And it’s just a ride.”

Eugene couldn’t help but grin at her insistence on her maturity. Surprisingly, the line for the ride was short, one of those rare moments where park guests were at other parts of the park. Once they meandered through the attraction courtyard and through the halls of the building, they filed into the boat that floated to the gates. Jessica, Barbara, and Christopher were in the front row with James and then Eugene in the back.

“You may want to take those off,” James gestured to Eugene’s glasses as the boat lurched forward.

“I can hardly see a thing without them on.”

“Aah, well, maybe shield your face when you can.”

Eugene noticed how the temperature had dropped and the canal was quiet as they drifted into what Eugene deduced to be the Louisiana bayou. Fireflies shimmered, and banjo tunes echoed around the room. The music faded, and all that was heard was the creak of the boat in the water. Eugene was trying to figure out how fast the water current was based on their weight and boat speed, when Eugene felt the boat connect to a track underneath them. He clutched the side of the boat and tucked his legs in closer. The children and Eugene let out small yells of surprise as they slid down not one but soon two waterfalls. Water splashed up the sides and sprayed everyone’s clothes (and Eugene’s glasses). Warring pirates appeared on first Eugene’s right followed shortly by his left. He couldn’t help but let out a startled gasp as they drifted underneath the volley of the ships fighting on either side of them. Jessica covered her eyes during certain parts, and Christopher couldn’t stop laughing and pointing.

Then they drifted in a section where the lights were brighter and music more lively. Eugene relaxed and studied the pirates as the boat drifted through the canal. He wondered how he could bring some of the technological ideas to Whit’s End. Barbara covered her children’s eyes during a couple crude parts. In the last section, the boat ticked up a steep track only to cruise down to the beginning of the water circuit. They could see guests on their left queuing up to climb in their boat. The lines had nearly doubled already.

“Again!” Christopher beamed.

“Maybe later, sweetie,” Barbara pulled out her stroller from the holding area. “Let’s see if we can find you a pirate hat in the gift shop.”

Eugene thought they could find cheaper has elsewhere but saw the appeal after seeing how realistic they were to the ride.

“Look, Mr. Eugene!” Jessica was wearing an eye patch and stood with her fists on her hips. “Arrgh!!”

“Very nice!” he grinned and clamped his mouth shut before he went into a ramble about pirate injuries and how eye patches came about.

“Your hat is crooked,” she reached up trying to fix it for him. He thanked her and fixed it and her own.

As the group made their way out and found their bearings on the map, Eugene took in the buildings’ architecture. “Not that I’ve visited the Caribbean before, but these structures look very much like what I’ve seen in pictures.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the back of a man in a blue cap and blue long-sleeve shirt walking away from him and looking ahead into the crowd.

“M-Mr. Walton? MR. WALTON!” Eugene sprinted with arms and legs flailing towards the man. “I’M HERE, MR. WALTON!”

The man turned around. “EUGENE!” Mr. Walton walked towards him and stopped short as Eugene held him in a tight hug, as hard as it was in his skinny arms.

“Thank God, you’re safe! What on earth happened to you? How’d you end up over here?”

“Oh, Mr. Walton, I can’t tell you the day I’ve had,” he rushed. “I met-“

“Where’d you get that hat? And who’s that?” he asked the last question in a quiet voice as he leaned closer to Eugene.

He turned around. “Oh, they’re the Malones! They have truly been my saviors today. They took me under their wing, so to speak, and let me stay with them until I found you.”

At this explanation, James stepped forward with his hand outstretched. Barbara was next to him, holding Christopher, and Jessica was half behind her mother, taking in who this new man was and why he was talking to her friend. “James Malone,” he offered.

“Bernard Walton,” he replied as an afterthought, puzzled over the thought of Eugene hanging out with this family. “You mean to tell me you’ve been hanging out with the Malones all this time?”

“Yes, sir, they have been giving me an amazing VIP-quality tour. I tried to look around for you but didn’t know where to start. I didn’t anticipate we’d be separated for so long.”

“I didn’t expect you to start exploring the park with a family!”

Jessica walked forward a couple steps. “Mr. Eugene has been a great friend to me today. Do you want to come with us too? We were going to Frontierland next.”

Bernard bent down so he was eye level with her. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, but we… we would…be delighted to join you a little longer, only if it’s okay with your parents.” Bernard looked at either parent and saw grins all around.

“Of course! We would be honored to meet Eugene’s friend,” Barbara replied first “We heard so much about you. Eugene told us about your adventurous road trip already.”

It didn’t take long for Bernard to relax in the Malone’s family’s company. He felt like he was back in Odyssey and could understand why Eugene was willing to stay with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This construction site would later be the Indiana Jones Adventure ride in 1995.


	10. Chapter 10

“Mr. Walton, how _did_ you find me?” 

Eugene and Bernard had been swapping stories about what they had been doing for the past four and a half hours while their group aimlessly walked through the park, enjoying the fact that they were there to experience it.

“I was inspired,” Bernard grinned. “I actually saw you on the steamboat while I was up the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. By the time I got there though, you were gone. I figured you were still in the area and hadn’t wandered far. I think that must have been, what, the third time I walked down that road before you appeared?”

“Speaking in terms of probability, we were bound to find each other eventually!”

“And I’m sure it would have been even sooner if you hadn’t been hiding on attractions!” he teased.

Whether by instinct, ulterior motive, or an invisible pull, James stopped near Splash Mountain.

“Daddy!” Jessica shrieked. “Can we ride one more? Please??!!!!! I really wanna ride on Splash Mountain.”

“It’s getting cooler out now,” Barbara began.

“Not by much! I’m still sweating!”

“I don’t know if Eugene and Bernard would be okay with us all going on,” James tried. “We may have to say good-bye to them now.”

Jessica turned to Eugene. “Mr. Eugene, please! Can you and Mr. Bernard stay for only one more ride?” Eugene couldn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes as she clasped the edges of his vest.

“What is the attraction? Aside from a wet-sounding ride?”

Bernard shook his head. “Eugene, this is not the ride for you. It’s a tall-climbing, fast-moving boat ride guaranteed to get you wet by the end of it. It’s one of the most popular rides here.”

“Then, Mr. Walton, I must try it! I’m not afraid of heights, and certainly not a bit of H2O. If it’s a quintessential part of Disneyland, I’m doing it! And you should too!”

“Me?!” Bernard backed up. “Oh no, don’t drag me on your insistence to have a quintes…quin-, a Disneyland experience!”

“Mr. Walton, we have just been reunited, and I won’t have you miss the fun now. Would you disappoint Jessica?”

She turned to Bernard now like a lioness to a gazelle and smiled widely. “Please, Mr. Bernard?”

He bit his lip and looked at the ride’s sign. “You WILL get wet!” “Do you folks happen to have a couple of spare ponchos?”

“Excuse me,” a woman rose from her seat on a bench located near the ride’s entrance. She was wearing a white t-shirt with “Washington Family Disney Vacation 1994” written in black, blue, and red glitter gel. “I couldn’t help but overhear you asking about ponchos. I have extra ones you can have. My family is on Splash Mountain right now, but as you can see,” she gestured down at her very pregnant belly, “I can’t ride on any fast rides.”

“Wow, that’s so generous of you,” Bernard replied. “Thank you very much!”

“My pleasure! Let me get them out of my bag.”

While Barbara started helping her children put on their ponchos, the kindly stranger’s family returned, all wearing the same homemade t-shirts.

“Mom, you should have seen how fast we went!” a boy about nine years old ran up to her.

“Haha, Antoine, you are soaked! Did you get a picture?”

“Yeah, Dad bought it after we got off.”

“Marvin, how are you, baby? Were you scared?” She held out her hand to a boy no older than four who ran out from behind his brother.*

“I wasn’t scared, but I got my hair all wet! I closed my eyes at the top.”

“Elaine, I wish you could have been there,” a tall man with a wide grin and warm voice walked up to them. “The kids had a blast, and Marvin was so brave.” He patted his head lovingly. “Who’s up for ice cream bars and churros? If we hurry, we can meet Brer Bear or maybe run into a pirate.”

For a second, Bernard wished he could join the Washington family to get churros too. Once everyone’s ponchos were secured, they joined the queue. They were worried Christopher wasn’t quite tall enough, even though he was tall for his age, but the cast member let them by without a problem. To pass the time, the group got to know each other better. Bernard learned more about James’ job working at a downtown deli, and he described what Odyssey was like. Before they knew it, they were ready to board. The six of them filed in the log boat behind one another; Jessica, James, Christopher with Barbara, Eugene, and Bernard (although Eugene’s legs felt a bit cramped).

Their boat climbed up the track immediately, making the newcomers feel like getting wet was imminent, but instead they drifted past Brer Rabbit’s happy friends in a brightly light cave. After experiencing more fears of getting wet, they relaxed as the animatronics sang “Everybody’s Gotta Laughing Place.” Eugene turned back to Bernard, “This ride isn’t as scary as the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was. We should be fine.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Bernard mumbled. _Maybe having everyone in front will protect me from getting wet._

The bright, relaxing boat ride ended with an abrupt, high speed, wet drop that took nearly everyone by surprise. Eugene’s yell rose above the others as they thundered down and splashed into the water below. The boat drifted side to side as it rounded the corner to take the soaked passengers back.

“Mommy, you’re covering your eyes!” Jessica giggled as they gathered around the computer screen to look at the ride photos.

“No matter how many times I ride it, that drop always takes me by surprise.”

James laughed, “Jessica, look at how your hair flipped up.”

“Haha, yeah! I really was flying. But poor Mr. Eugene and Mr. Bernard don’t look like they had too much fun.”

Bernard fished for his wallet, which was starting to feel lighter than he would have wished, to pay for a copy of the picture. “Not sure whose face looks worse, Eugene’s with his poncho hood caught on his hat and mouth wide open like a fish, or mine as white as my Aunt Valerie’s hair.”

Much to Bernard’s surprise, Eugene was laughing and chatting with Jessica about her favorite part of the ride. _Like he had fun. The kids at Whit’s End don’t make him act like this._

The ponchos did a decent job of keeping everyone’s clothes dry, although the drop had dumped water into the boat and soaked Eugene’s shoes and Barbara’s purse. The Malones agreed that it was time for dinner and wouldn’t hear of Eugene and Bernard leaving them now. They ordered at the Hungry Bear Restaurant and found a dry place to sit on the patio deck.

“You don’t mind if we pray, do you?” James asked Bernard.

“Not at all! Please do.”

“Dear God,” James prayed over everyone’s food, “thank you for bringing Eugene and Bernard safely back together and for their vacation crossing paths with ours today. Please bless the rest of their journey with success and safely lead them back to Odyssey. Bless this food that You provided for us, and thank You that we were able to spend such a fun day celebrating Jessica’s achievements at school. In Your name we pray, Amen.”

“Amen,” the rest of the table echoed, Eugene’s being more quiet and pensive.

“What do we do after this?” Jessica asked.

“We are probably going home,” James stated with a glance at Christopher, who seemed to be eating slower and rubbing his eyes. “Remember we have two more days here.”

“I know, but not with Mr. Eugene.”

“You don’t need me to have fun,” Eugene smiled. “Perhaps you’ll befriend someone new tomorrow. This time maybe your parents will be in closer proximity you.”

“Will you head back to your hotel after this too?” James asked.

“Not quite,” Bernard explained, and Eugene turned in surprise. “There’s one more ride I wanted to take Eugene on. Then I promised him we’d go back to the Main Street shops on our way out.”

“Choose your souvenirs carefully,” Barbara cautioned. “Unless the items say ‘Disneyland’ on them, you can find them cheaper outside the park.”

“Thanks,” Bernard replied. “I think Disneyland has taken enough of our money today.”

“Yet, who can put a price on memories?” James smiled, rubbing his wife’s back.

After they were done eating, Bernard and James threw away the garbage while Barbara arranged Christopher in his stroller, reclining the seat so he could rest more comfortably. “You had quite an eventful day, young man.”

Jessica used her foot to play with a loose pebble on the wooden slatted floor.

“Jessica?” Eugene said softly.

“Yes?” her eyes were shiny with tears.

“I can’t thank you enough for your kindness. You and your whole family showed me what a magical place Disneyland is. I will never forget it, or you.”

She sniffed. “I’ll never forget you either. Maybe I can visit you someday, in Odyssey.”

“I look forward to that day. Before we depart, I wanted to give you something. Consider it an early birthday present.”

He pulled a Disneyland shopping bag out of his knapsack.

She eagerly looked inside. “A tiara!” she couldn’t help but smile. “I love it. Thank you, Mr. Eugene.” She thrust herself into his legs and hugged him. Eugene stooped down to properly return the hug.

“Now don’t forget to study hard in school and listen to your parents,” he straightened with a sniff. “An education is the best gift you can give to yourself.”

“I will. Thanks again.” She clutched the tiara close to her chest. “I’m going to wear this on my birthday.”

Eugene saw Barbara watching them and gave her a hearty farewell handshake. “I will forever be in your debt for showing me such generosity by letting me accompany you and your wonderful family. You gave me much unexpected joy.”

Barbara hugged him in return. “God bless you, Eugene. Travel safely and keep your friends close. I have this indescribable feeling that you’ll need them in the days ahead.”

Bernard loudly cleared his throat and Eugene abruptly pulled away from her.

“Goodbye, Mr. Malone, and my heartfelt gratitude to you as well,” he shook hands with him.

“Take care of yourself, Eugene. It was a pleasure meeting you and Bernard,” James looked at Bernard and nodded in respect to him.

“Thank you for taking such good care of him,” Bernard shook James’ hand as well. “Enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

“Bye!” Jessica waved as they parted ways outside the restaurant.

“Farewell!” Eugene waved back wistfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Marvin may have been a little younger, but I manipulated the ages slightly. Elaine is pregnant with Tamika. Special thanks to everyone who helped me with his age on the Facebook AIO fan page!


	11. Chapter 11

After a couple minutes of walking away from the Hungry Bear Restaurant in silence, Eugene asked Bernard. “Where are we going? I thought you wouldn’t want to wait to be rid of this place once we were reunited.”

“While that is true, partially, we came here so I could give you the experience every kid at Disneyland had. Looks like the Malones did some of the hard work for me, but we haven’t ridden on my wife’s favorite ride yet.”

“Maude’s ride? Why aren’t we riding your favorite ride?”

“I told you I don’t have a favorite ride. My sister Bettina actually loved this ride too growing up, and I guess since I’ve ridden it every time since I’ve been here, either for her or Maude, Disneyland wouldn’t feel the same without it. Personally, the ride would be better with only one chorus, but I’ve gotten pretty good at tuning it out.”

Contemplating what Bernard could be referring to, Eugene followed him as they made their way out of Frontierland. The sun was hovering on the horizon, indicating to Eugene it was sometime between 7:05 and 7:20pm. Lit trees and streetlamps illuminated their path. Eugene eventually recognized the place where he watched the parade and saw a sign for “It’s a Small World.” Eugene was surprised it was another boat ride but figured they didn’t have much danger of getting wet if Bernard didn’t seem concerned. As they settled in next to each other, Bernard scooted down in his seat (as much as he could without banging his knees) and slid his cap over his eyes with a satisfied grin. Eugene sat up straight as a board as they drifted into the tunnel. Dolls representing different countries were singing and dancing to the same tune. He took in each cultural costume, each language used, and each word sung.

After the day he had, Eugene could believe that it was a small world. Even though they were hundreds of miles from Odyssey, he managed to run into a family that he felt shared Odyssey’s values of love, kindness, and generosity. At a time when he had felt his atypical childhood and the absence of his parents so acutely, he had stumbled into the arms of a loving family and befriended a girl who almost made him believe in magic, if you defined magic as the suspension of disbelief and the joy in the simplicities of life that only the heart of a child could understand best.

He remembered what Barbara had said to him before they parted, about how he needed to keep his friends close. He thought of Bernard, knowing that the familial bond they shared would never separate them. Then he thought of Ms. Kendall and the sibling rivalry they had. She was also the most caring and loving female in his life, aside from- Eugene gazed up at the lit signs overhead representing the South American countries to stop him from dwelling on Katrina yet again. Mr. Riley was the good-natured uncle who always worried if he was eating enough or speaking “properly.” Then Mr. Whitaker’s warm voice echoed in his head. The closest thing to a father figure Eugene knew. Eugene had no idea what he’d do without any of these people in his life. Perhaps he always felt it, but this was the first time he consciously acknowledged that all of his friends loved him just as a family did. Just as the Malone family had loved each other. He had discovered a part of himself on this journey. He was loved, and he couldn’t wait to love back.

In the last section of the ride, the dolls were all dressed in white and had bright lights shining all around them. The music grew louder and even more joyful. Eugene caught himself humming to the tune. Bernard snorted and sat up again, fixing his hat.

“Yeah, Maude does know how to pick ‘em,” he said as he turned to face Eugene. “What did you think of it?”

“I counted seven different languages and twenty-five countries represented. A most impressive ride and full of...symbolism. I can see why Bettina and Maude count this as their favorite ride.”

“They just like the song. It can get stuck in your head for hours. Maude joked once she wanted to take all the dolls home, but I told her I didn’t want to see those smiling faces every time I turned a corner.” Bernard climbed out of the boat, turned, and gave a hand to Eugene. “Let’s head to Main Street so we can buy souvenirs and get out of here. And, Eugene, stay close to me, please?”

“Yes, sir,” Eugene said emphatically as they exchanged a knowing look.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They managed to find everything they were looking for inside the Main Street Emporium store. Bernard bought Maude a 1994 Disneyland keychain to add to her collection. Even though Eugene had insisted when their trip started that he was on a budget, this one time he felt like being more generous for the people he loved. Eugene bought Connie a Disneyland t-shirt with Mickey and Minnie in front of the castle, thinking she still wouldn’t believe he went to Disneyland. He assumed it would fit her based on his estimation of her body size. For Tom, he found a Mickey and friends mug, and for Mr. Whitaker, he finally decided on a snow globe with the Disneyland castle inside and the year written at the base. He also bought two postcards, explaining to Mr. Walton that he would save the souvenirs to give to everyone in person but at least send a postcard to update them. One postcard he would to send to Whit’s End, and the other he would send to…someone else. It was all he had the courage to send her. Eugene sneaked buying a baseball cap featuring Grumpy (Eugene learned later) that he would present to Mr. Walton later as a thank-you present for taking this detour.

After paying for everything, Eugene urged Mr. Walton to cross the road with him because there was one more store he needed to stop inside. He opened the door to the bakery and explained, “I feel guilty you didn’t enjoy so many treats today, so I thought you could buy some snacks for our road trip. My treat!”

“Well, when you put it that way! Thanks, Eugene!” For how late it was getting, the shop was fairly crowded, but the friends stuck close together. Eugene indulged and bought himself a chocolate chip cookie, and Mr. Walton picked out bagged caramel popcorn, a walnut brownie, and a vanilla cupcake.

As they stepped outside, Bernard taking another bite out of his cupcake, Eugene nearly dropped his bag. “Look, Mr. Walton, look! It’s Goofy! He’s walking along that wall.” Eugene took off at a jog towards the character.

“Wait, Eugene!” Bernard swallowed. “He’s not supposed to be out here right now. It’s past 9:00!” Bernard huffed after him, determined not to be separated from him yet again.

“I’ve been told I look a lot like you, in dress, I mean,” Eugene was explaining to the character who was holding his hand over his mouth and pointing at Eugene’s pants and shoes.

“Please, sir, if you don’t mind, it would mean the world to me to have a quick picture with you.”

Goofy nodded before his annoyed looking cast member partner could object. Bernard stopped staring open-mouthed and took his cue to pull out the camera and snap their picture.

“Thank you so much,” Eugene shook hands swiftly with him.

Goofy clapped him on the back, laughed with his hand to his mouth again, and waved as he disappeared into the “employees only” door.

“Well slap a pair of wings on my back and call me Tinkerbell,” Bernard grinned as Eugene walked back over to him. “What happened to those characters ‘Playing into a child’s naivete’ and ‘creating an illusion’?”

“I suppose I had a change of heart.”

“It’s a miracle. I don’t even know what Goofy was doing out here so late. No other characters are around.”

Before Eugene could answer, a loud boom pierced the night sky.

“Look, Eugene, over the castle!” Bernard pulled at Eugene’s arm and pointed to the fireworks display. He glanced at his watch. “9:30, right on schedule. I didn’t think we’d actually end up being out this late to see them.”

Eugene and Bernard watched the Mickey heads and stars bloom white, blue, green, and red. Children murmured in awe around them, yet Eugene felt the display was only for the two of them to enjoy. As soon as they ended, Bernard pulled on his arm, “Come on, let’s beat the crowd out of here.”

“Right next to you! My feet are quite sore from walking all day.”

“Do you feel any different now that you’ve experienced Disneyland like most every other kid?”

“This trip hasn’t altered my childhood in any way, but I do feel more, accomplished, like I have achieved another rite of passage to adulthood, if that makes any sense at all. I also feel much more educated about what children are consuming in the entertainment world. I feel I need a conversation with Mr. Whittaker on a few different things when we get back.”

“Good, save it for Whit because the only companion I’m going to have for the next seven hours will be my pillow!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After going back to their motel room, Eugene and Bernard left the next day for San Diego, and you know the rest! When he got back to Odyssey, Eugene passed out the Disneyland souvenirs to his friends. Sadly, Eugene couldn’t give his snow globe to Whit right away. Instead, he periodically stared at it in his apartment, wishing that Whit were there. It was an incredibly special moment when he finally did give it to Whit. Katrina reread the postcard Eugene sent until there were creases all over it. After they were married, she kept it with the pictures of Eugene with Mickey Mouse, with Goofy, and at Splash Mountain. She still pulls them out to remind Eugene of his adventure. As for Jessica, she and her family did eventually make a trip to Odyssey, and Eugene was thrilled to see her.  
> I hope you enjoyed reading this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it, and that most importantly, you took away something meaningful from it.


End file.
